Breaking News

JOSH FAHLSING

Published 12:29 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

BAD AXE - The special meeting of the Bad Axe City Council planned for 7:30 tonight has been canceled.

Council had called the special meeting and was expected to direct city attorney John Ferris to investigate the "alleged irregularities" with which signatures were obtained and certified for a petition submitted last week calling for the water project's bond issue to be put to a vote.

The meeting was deemed necessary because city officials received two written complaints after the Tribune discovered an unknown number of signatures on the petition could be invalid because they were not signed in the presence of circulator Frank Lerash.

Lerash met with City Manager John Nugent, Clerk Kay Goebel and Ferris this morning and helped them distinguish which signatures on the petitions he didn't directly witness. The remaining signatures are not enough to push the process forward and force the issue to a vote.

"He identified the ones he didn't officially witness," Nugent said. "I think there's less than 200 valid signatures at this time, but it's not sufficient for the petition to prevail and no special election will be called."

Lerash said he didn't understand the petition process and was sorry for the people who signed it legitimately.

"I just want to apologize to the people that wanted to bring this before a vote because I didn't understand the petitions, I read it wrong," he said.

Nugent said there was no malicious intent on the part of Lerash.

"There was no intent on his part to (collect signatures) incorrectly," Nugent said. "He simply was not fully aware of the law."